Armenian, Assyrian and Hellenic Genocide News

House drops Armenian Genocide Vote
by Reuters
Posted: Friday, October 20, 2000 02:07 am CST

Clinton urged Hastert to scrap resolution that angered Turkey

WASHINGTON, Oct. 19 — Bowing to pressure from President Bill Clinton, the House on Thursday canceled a vote on a highly sensitive resolution labeling as genocide the killing of Armenians by Turks more than 80 years ago.

‘Because the president has raised grave national security concerns, he has requested that the House not consider ... the Armenian Genocide Resolution. I have acceded to this request.’ — HOUSE SPEAKER DENNIS HASTERT

THE RESOLUTION which had infuriated Turkey — a key military ally and trade partner of the United States — was strongly opposed by the White House; administration officials have been urging the Republican-led Congress for weeks to drop it.

Clinton telephoned House Speaker Dennis Hastert on Wednesday night and succeeded in persuading him to cancel the vote on the resolution, which had been set for Thursday.

“Because the president has raised grave national security concerns, he has requested that the House not consider ... the Armenian Genocide Resolution,” Hastert, an Illinois Republican said in a statement. “I have acceded to this request.”

Though he supported the resolution, Hastert said he agreed to Clinton’s request to avoid further inflaming tensions in the Middle East, where a fragile cease-fire is now in place between Israel and the Palestinians.

‘NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES’

In a letter to Hastert dated Thursday, Clinton warned that passage of the measure “at this time could have far-reaching negative consequences for the United States.”

“The president believes that passage of this resolution may adversely impact the situation in the Middle East and risk the lives of Americans,” Hastert said. “We must take these concerns into consideration, especially given the latest developments in the Middle East.”

The resolution, which was approved by the House International Relations Committee earlier this month, urged Clinton to recognize “the systematic and deliberate annihilation of 1.5 million Armenians as genocide.”

Although not binding, the measure was loaded with symbolism for both Armenia and Turkey, where bitter memories of the killings between between 1915 and 1923 run deep.

Turkey denies that genocide took place and insists that both sides suffered heavy casualties during partisan fighting as the Ottoman empire collapsed.

THREATS FROM ANKARA

A major purchaser of U.S. arms and an important NATO ally, Turkey warned the United States after the resolution was passed by the International Relations Committee that if the full House approved it, Ankara would retaliate.

The Turkish parliament also condemned Congress’ action and former premier Tansu Ciller warned that Turkey could find a pretext to ground U.S. warplanes that use its Incirlik airbase to police the no-fly zone in northern Iraq.

The United States has enforced the no-fly zone since the end of the Gulf War and considers it crucial to its policy of containing Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.

Turkey also threatened to withdraw from negotiations with U.S. firm Bell Textron to buy 145 attack helicopters in a $4.5 billion tender and hinted at other commercial steps it might take, including fully reopening an oil pipeline from Iraq.

“We have significant interests in this troubled region of the world: containing the threat posed by Saddam Hussein; working for peace and stability in the Middle East and Central Asia; stabilizing the Balkans and developing new sources of energy,” Clinton said in his letter to Hastert.

“Consideration of the resolution at this sensitive time will negatively affect those interests and could undermine efforts to encourage improved relations between Armenia and Turkey ....”

Similar resolutions have been blocked in Congress over the past 20 years, but this time many Republican and Democratic lawmakers, whose districts have large Armenian constituencies, backed the measure.

Republican leaders, faced with a tough battle to retain their control of the House, also helped to propel the resolution in an attempt to help embattled Rep. James Rogan win reelection on Nov. 7 in his southern California district, which has a large Armenian-American population.

Related Information...

Armenian, Assyrian and Hellenic Genocide News Archives